Rwandan renowned artist honors the 'sun' in latest exhibition

From an early age, this renowned Rwandan artist just knew he wanted to paint.

Epaphrodite Binamungu, grew up in exile in the Democratic Republic of Congo until 1994 and is one of Rwanda’s leading and most famed artists.

His latest exhibition is to celebrate the sun.

“In most of my paintings, I often put a red dot on it. This point recalls the dramatic period that Rwandans experienced during the genocide. We must remember every time in our history that this has been the case. It gives us a lesson in life, it gives us a lesson for humanity, that’s why I’m drawing this point “, Binamungu said.

The artist likes to work with a small palate of colours and a mixture of broad and small strokes to create various textures.

His paintings often depict scenes from local daily life and gatherings, moving between realism and abstraction.

His new exhibition entitled “The Journey with the Sun”, represents a series of paintings that reflect different atmospheres of the sun.

There are 45 artworks in total, to mark the 45 years he’s been an artist.

“What I like about Epa is that he is constantly changing, he doesn’t stay in the same style. So it’s an exposure to the sun and what I like is paint mixed with sand and the three dimensions of his painting, it’s very original”, said a visitor, Michel Bezy.

“Epa Binamungu will leave a legacy. He kept it, a family man, kept the flame, and he kept the art industry in Rwanda… He raised the bar high, so I think he’s going to be a role model, that’s what I think”, said visitor and local resident, Shema Patrice.

The paintings in the exhibition are sold for between 40,000 and 500,000 Rwandan francs, or between 45 and 570 US dollars.

Binamungu, who is also a sculptor is the founder of the Inganzo Arts Centre in Kigali, which he hopes will become a regional hub for artists and a space to celebrate culture and heritage.

The artist has presented numerous exhibitions in Africa, Europe, the United States and China.

Several of his works are part of Rwanda’s public collections.